auntieginzy

I have been a US immigrant for about a year now. I am just undergoing tests for cancer. I am insured but not sure it would cover all the stuff I might need. Is it possible to return to the UK for my treatment? Has anyone experienced this?

DebzinUS

My cousin just returned to the UK because his health insurance did not pay all costs related to treating cancer. He had lived in the US (Florida) for 20 yrs, owned a business, but just could not afford to stay in the US to receive care. He left at the beginning of August, and is currently undergoing treatment. I understand that if you go back to the UK and make the UK your permanent home, then NHS treatment is possible. If you stay in the US you will need to check your policy to identify what is covered, the deductibles, co-pays, and out of pocket expenses. I would be surprised if your insurance in the US would cover everything.

civilservant

As the above says, if you become resident in the Uk again then yes NHS treatment is free. If you remain a US Resident than no, it will not be.

Giantaxe

The major exception would be if the OP is in receipt of a UK state retirement pension.

Gillymonkey

It may be worth asking on the 'Moving Back to the UK' forum but I am pretty sure that since you have not been out of the UK for three years you can just slot straight back into using the NHS if you make the UK your home.

Sorry you are having to deal with this, it must be so stressful.

auntieginzy

thank you so much for your helpful comments. I do have a UK pension so that sounds good. Just need to wait and see what needs doing now.

Yorkieabroad

So even if you are non-resident, but you are receiving a UK state pension, then you are entitled to free NHS? That's useful to know...I didn't know that.

Yorkieabroad

Good luck..hope all goes well. My FIL and a close friend are both having chemo at the moment at MD Anderson here in Houston, and getting pretty good treatment overall. I hope you receive likewise.

guitarmaan

Good luck with your treatment. I'm guessing this is the issue most expats don't want to think about i.e. going home for treatment even when they have US insurance. And it makes you wonder what use insurance is at all when it hardly covers the people paying it.

Does anyone know which rules the UK currently enforces for proving you've returned to live? Selling your US home? having a UK job? It's all a bit tenuous because anyone could move back the US immediately after successful treatment (assuming the US allows it).

mamasue

Me neither.....I'd like to know if it's true, as I've got my UK pension... but didn't think I qualify for NHS any more.

scrubbedexpat099

You are dealing with 2 completely unrelated systems with regulations that do not and are not supposed to intertwine.

I can well imagine it is possible to be screwed by both or benefit from both depending how you work things out.

I would exhaust any US provisions first before utilising the NHS. NHS can be a bit of a lottery.

Lanyu

Sorry to hear your situation

You wouldn't be entitled to it for free as a Pensioner as you are living outside the EEA European Economic Area (EEA) & Switzerland

It would be ashame to have to have to leave a country where the care is better to joint a waiting list its either time or money.

robin1234

But the care is only better in the US if you have effective access to that good care ... that is, if you can afford to pay out of pocket for care, or if you have very good insurance. Not all Americans are in that fortunate situation!

DebzinUS

I so agree! The US has arguably the best health care in the world...if you can access the system. What good is living in a country with the 'best' health care if it not available to you?

scrubbedexpat099

OP sounds like she has access.